The Arrive Alive road safety website has embarked on an effort to give exposure to the views of South African celebrities about road safety. This is done in a response to the request from a concerned parent and mother of a grade 12 pupil.
The Arrive Alive website has been approached by a parent with the idea to provide some focus and attention on the need for safety awareness amongst the teenagers. Every end of year we find that teenagers and matrics go on vacation with friends in celebration of their years of schooling coming to an end – and we read about fatal accidents and distraught family and friends left behind!
We have recognized that our celebrities have a very close following from our teenagers, and that their every step is closely monitored. To provide the younger road users with a road safety message it is important that such road safety message does not only come from traffic officials -but, if possible can also originate from these celebrities.
We have approached several celebrities and have been overjoyed and impressed with their kind responses and will to participate! We have even received a message from the Minister of Transport, Sibusiso Ndebele, and confirmation from him of the importance to have celebrities join the effort to reduce the road carnage!
We have shared this initiative with international road safety experts and have been warned that the only major concern would be that one of those celebrities could “fall from grace” and could then tarnish such a campaign.
We do believe that the value offered by advice from our celebrities far outweighs the risk of them “falling from grace” and that their power to get the correct message across should be utilized!
We will approach celebrities across all lines of gender, race, industry and their participation in television, radio, arts and sports to join in this effort to create more awareness of road safety!
We would like to invite all our teenagers and other road users to view the comments from celebrities such as John Smit, Just Jinjer, Sekoati Sk Tsubane, Jeannie D, Gareth Cliff, Jen Su, Ryk Neethling,Farah Fortune, Shashi Naidoo, Prime Circle, Lee-Ann Liebenberg, Ryan Botha, Birgitte Willers, Shaun Haschick, Gary Formato etc
We will be adding many more in the next few months. Every South African teen should be able to relate to one of these local celebrities – and his or her road safety message! The Road Safety message should not be a once-off focus on safety during the festive season, but rather a plea for safe and responsible behaviour on the roads every day of the year!
Also view:
• The teenagers guide to safety on road to holiday vacation
• Celebrity Wall on the Arrive Alive website